Intentional and Distraction-Free Driving

I was one who was quite fearful to start this new journey toward freedom. From the dangers of the road and driving to ways of being a safe and cautious driver, driver’s education is a teenager’s first glance into a whole new world of freedom and responsibility. Depending on the student, one may be exhilarated about the new responsibilities that come with driving, while others may be reluctant and fearful to start this new journey. I dreaded the reality of having my life in my own hands as each day ticked by. It was intimidating. Many teenagers see driving as independence. With your license, you can see your friends easier or you may get to a sport or job faster without forcing your parents to drop what they are doing so you aren’t late. In reality, driving is a lot more than that. Once you get past the excitement, you realize how truly dangerous and complex driving can be. 

Driver’s education sets up the foundation for your whole future in driving. It teaches you the nitty gritty information that comes with driving. It helps to set the serious tone of driving that most teens prefer to avoid hearing from their parents. In driver’s education, it is potentially your first time ever touching the driver’s side of a vehicle and everything that comes with that. I personally learned about the rules of the road, saw the handbook for the first time, learned about signs and signals… what most people think of when they hear “driver’s education.” I also learned about the dangers of driving, like drunk driving and underage drinking, and how harmful one simple distraction can be. It is a matter of life or death. Aside from drunk driving and disobeying rules of the road, one of the most dangerous distractions while driving is at our fingertips… phones. The simplicity of learning and following the rules and turning your phone off/putting other distractions away for a drive can be so difficult but so important. 

At my school, after you successfully completed the driver’s education course and received your permit, you could sign up to do in-person, one-on-one driving lessons. I believe this majorly benefited me and helped me feel more confident and comfortable behind the wheel. It was nice to get an outsider’s perspective on how I was doing and compare it to how my parents were teaching me. I got some extra tips and attention targeted towards the skills I needed to work on. If possible, I believe others should have a one-to-one driving course to help them learn how to drive and drive safely.

If everyone were to think before drinking or before breaking another rule of the road and decide instead to shut their phones off for a ten-minute drive, the dangers of driving would drop significantly. If it is an emergency situation, call someone to pick you up! It is safer to call someone and get in a little trouble with a friend or family member than to crash the car and potentially hurt yourself and others and get in major trouble. For young drivers, don’t drive past your state’s curfew or your parent’s curfew. It may also be very tempting to load up your car with friends, but think first… will you be able to focus on the importance of driving safely or will you be distracted? 

In my personal experience, I have only been in one minor car crash, and nobody was hurt. I was very little, so I don’t really remember it, but I do remember my mom pulling off the road, and the person who hit her followed her and met her outside of the car and they talked about what to do. I have heard of people I know who experienced more significant car crashes and ended up in the hospital, and it only brings the dangers more into reality. I have seen people text and drive or look at music lyrics while driving. It scares me and makes me feel uncomfortable. Thankfully, in these experiences, I have never experienced a crash, but it does remind you to put your phone in a safe hidden space while driving. 

I, like everyone else, am not perfect at driving. I have definitely made some mistakes while driving, but I have also learned from them. I definitely believe that keeping an open mind to learning new things while driving will help me continue to get better. I can also make sure that my phone is on “do not disturb” and put away in a bag so I am not tempted to take it out and start scrolling. I can also make a music playlist so I am not constantly distracted trying to find a song that is acceptable to listen to. When having a friend in the car, I remind them that while we can talk, my main focus has to be on the road, and I can’t constantly look at them. For my friends that are nonverbal, I prompt them to use their AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) device to talk to me or remind them that we can wait to talk until we get out of the car. I plan to never ever drink, and I believe that that itself will help me be a better driver. However, I have to remind myself to focus on the other drivers on the road and not just my driving. You never know who is distracted while driving, intoxicated, or going to speed through a red light or stop/turn with no warning. I have to be aware and ready to swerve or stop to avoid danger at any moment in time. 

In conclusion, I believe that driver’s education should be a requirement in high school for teens to learn the safety, rules, and regulations of the road. It is important to have a serious place to discover the dangers and importance of the road from someone other than a parent, as most teens tend to disregard parental guidance as they get older. For me, the one-to-one education helped significantly with comfort and understanding why some techniques are used over others. It is an important step in staying safe on the road for new drivers and more people will learn about the laws and retain the information if served in a course. It is fairly easy to get into an accident if you are distracted, not in good weather conditions, drunk, disobeying the rules, or not paying attention to your surroundings. With education, refreshing the knowledge you need to drive, and making safe choices, the risk of accidents can lower significantly.